Originally Posted by
darkom
Isn't it like a 7-8 hours flight to Paris? Why didn't you sleep for 36 hours? Also, what type of people are sitting in economy on a flight to Paris? I assume it's not the same level of potential characters on say a random Southwest economy domestic flight, no? Seat and amenities aside, I find one of the biggest gambles in economy is the type of people that you might have to sit next to.
Not so unusual. On the day of departure, you'll probably wake up at your usual hour (6-9 a.m.). The flights to Europe are generally overnight so you'll do a full day in the US. If you don't sleep well on planes (my unfortunate tendency), you'll remain awake all night, landing in Paris at daybreak or slightly later (time zone difference Chicago to Paris is seven hours--flight is roughly 8 hours to Europe, 9 back--headwinds flying westward).
Follow the standard advice to get yourself on the new schedule as soon as possible, and you'll not get to sleep until 9 p.m. or so Paris time, more than thirty hours after you awoke the day before. Get a little kick of adrenaline as I did on last month's trip to London, and you might stay up past midnight.
Thus, the argument for some sort of sleep medication in coach or flying business class.